The standout midfielder grabbed a long pole last week at Ossining and ran onto the field to help Fox Lane kill a penalty. It was only a matter of seconds before the ball was on the ground.

Magnan was going the other way in a hurry.

“He’s a force,” Yorktown coach Sean Carney said of the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder who signed to play at Syracuse. “He plays violent offense in a way. You have to match the physicality he brings. I’ve seen him overpower big kids that are extremely strong Division I athletes.”

Common sense kept the defenders a step away.

Magnan deposited the shorthanded goal and smiled all the way back to the sideline.

“I’m having a lot more fun,” he said.

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Fox Lane's Matt Magnan (24) in action during boys lacrosse game at Ossining High School on Thursday, May 10, 2018.(Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)

Two years ago, Magnan was in the company of Division I talents like Cullen Morgan, Thomas Tenney, Matt Leader and Sean New. Magnan piled up 62 goals and was named a U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American.

Then he disappeared in a thicket of poles.

Last spring, Magnan was asked to carry the load for an inexperienced team. The results were uneven.

“It’s hard to play offense when teams have so many gimmicks to deal with one player,” Fox Lane coach Craig Henley said. “The other guys were kind of looking at him, waiting for him to do something and the coaches are yelling at them from the sideline to move.”

Magnan wound up with 29 goals and 19 assists, which is a good season for most.

“It was pretty frustrating and this year it’s been pretty much the same thing,” he said. “It’s more mental for me. I have to trust my teammates."

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Fox Lane's Matt Magnan (24) in action during boys lacrosse game at Ossining High School on Thursday, May 10, 2018.(Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)

Team chemistry

There are still long days here and there, but Magnan has developed chemistry with this team.

“I can’t make him a better lacrosse player,” Henley said. “There’s nothing left I can tell him, so it’s all character stuff, team stuff. He’s showing the younger kids that he’s got their backs. He supports them and really appreciates when they work hard. I’ve had Matt for six years, since we started on JV together. It’s a special relationship, so I’m proud of the way he’s able to use his talents on the field and develop his character off the field.”

There were a number of conversations away from the field.

“I reached out to a lot of my coaches, especially coach Henley,” Magnan said. “He’s always there for me, a phone call away. I wasn’t quiet about it. I wasn’t shy about it. I was asking all my coaches what I could do better, how I could approach it differently.”

Engaging marque opponents was never an issue.

Magnan was directing traffic against Ossining last week, taking charge when necessary and offering encouragement when teammates executed. The Foxes are going into the playoffs with a 7-9 record, hoping to pull off an upset or two in Class A.

There will again be plenty of extra attention.

“I’ve been playing with a lot of these kids for a while now,” said Magnan, who's been in and out of the lineup to get healthier for the postseason. “It’s our second year together and I think we’re meshing a little better.”

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Fox Lane's Matt Magnan (24) in action during boys lacrosse game at Ossining High School on Thursday, May 10, 2018.(Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)

He’s got 33 goals and 19 assists so far and was picked to play alongside some of the best seniors in the country in the Under Armour All-America Game on June 30 at Johns Hopkins University.

That's validation.

“I’m pretty excited to play in that game,” Magnan said. “I think it’s cool. I’ve been playing with a lot of the kids who are playing in the game my whole life so it will be cool to see them again and play on TV with them.”